


And I Could Cry Power

by MomtherSeries



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Possession, Temporary Character Death, blood god is also a character in this, descriptions of death, no pernament death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:47:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29016849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MomtherSeries/pseuds/MomtherSeries
Summary: Techno had made the deal in the middle of the day, surrounded by forest and ruins with no one to hear the terms of his sins.It was the middle of the night when the Butcher Army called on him to repent.Or;The Butcher Army succeeds in executing Techno and release something much worse.
Comments: 93
Kudos: 743





	1. It's not the waking, it's the rising.

If Technoblade had known what he did now, he would have never accepted the Blood God’s offer. 

He was foolish back then, a scared hybrid who wanted control and acceptance and power. He wanted people to see him, his power and his glory, not his pointed ears, pink hair and his sharp teeth. He wanted to be seen for him, not his genetics. 

Techno had made the deal in the middle of the day, surrounded by forest and ruins with no one to hear the terms of his sins.

It was the middle of the night when the Butcher Army called on him to repent. 

He had gone, albeit unwillingly, expecting nothing of it. A trial, some over dramatic speech and a poor attempt of showing the facade of power the government had. The totem of undying sat heavy, tied to his back by the red sash that covered his midsection. Hidden by the heavy cape that coated his shoulders, Technoblade knew it wasn’t his time to die. It  _ couldn’t _ be his time to die. 

The Blood God was not kind to his servants that stopped the flow of red ichor. 

Techno was not one for forgiveness. The apple did not fall far from the tree.

Anxiety churned Techno’s stomach when Quackity ripped the cape and crown from him, leaving him in his thin dress shirt. Fear clutched his heart when Quackity plucked the Totem of Undying from his sash, waving it in front of him. 

“We can’t have you cheating! Silly Technoblade.” Quackity grinned, his voice sharp. “You’ll have to be mortal like the rest of us for your execution.”

Struggling against the roughly-woven rope, Techno set his jaw as he was led towards the small iron cage. Fundy, Ranboo and Tubbo watched mournfully. Techno scanned the area, making eye contact with Phil, who leaned against the banister of his house. 

_ They’re killing him in front of Philza? _

_ Blood for the blood god. _

_ It’ll be fine. _

_ A lamb to the slaughter.  _

_ Is this Techno’s first funeral? And it’s his own? _

_ Blood for the blood god.  _

_ #notpoggers _

“Techno!” Phil’s worried voice broke through the voices, and Techno turned again, removing his gaze from the small iron cage that Quackity was herding him towards. 

_ Phil can't see this.  _ Techno thought in horror. If he really was going to lose a life, Phil  _ couldn't _ be caught in the crossfire. 

Techno was harshly shoved into the cage, tripping and falling onto the bed. 

**[ Respawn Point Set ]**

"Fuck," Techno muttered under his breath. With his respawn set in L'Manberg it would be harder to escape. Quackity laughed, unhinged. 

"Oh no! Is the great and powerful Technoblade  _ scared?  _ Turns out he's mortal like the rest of us!" 

"Quackity," Techno slammed himself against the bars, knuckles white. Quackity jumped a little, taking a step backwards at Techno's sudden movement. "Quackity, you  _ have  _ to listen to me. Don't kill me!" 

"You're pathetic." Quackity snarled, stalking around the cage to a large lever. 

" _ Listen _ to me! Something horrible will happen to  _ everyone  _ if I die!" Techno snarled. Fear slowly crept into his chest. 

“I don’t care! You’ve done nothing but destroy everything for your own pleasure! You toss people aside if they don’t fit your goals and you refuse to listen to any opinion or view that isn’t your own! I fucking hate you!” 

“Quackity-”

“No! No, no, no no no, not this time Technoblade! You don’t get a quippy line and a chance to escape this time. I’m making sure you  _ fucking _ die.”

Techno watched in horror as Quacity pulled the lever, his thoughts racing. 

_ He’s not running? _

_  
_ _ Techno actually dying???? _

_ Go pig boy go! _

_ Y’all he’s not running? _

_ Is that an anvil?  _

_ An anvil?????? _

_ I think it’s an anvil! _

_ He’s not moving! _

_ Techno, MOVE- _

  
  
  


Phil couldn’t see much from his cramped deck. The rows of chairs and the crowd around Techno’s small iron cage made it difficult to discern what was going on. He could hear the pitch of Quackity’s voice rise and fall, as well as Techno’s strained, worried response. Phil wished he was close enough to hear the full conversation. 

What he could see was horrifying. Quackity was standing to a lever, gesturing wildly, his hand firmly on the switch. Techno shouted something, voice lost to the wind. Phil watched as Quackity's demeanor switched, going from loose and uncaring to angry, his teeth bared and his stance tense as he shouted back at Techno. 

To the far left Phil could see Ranboo, Fundy and Tubbo. Ranboo looked like a disaster, shifting from foot to foot, fiddling with his suit buttons. 

_ An unwilling player.  _ Phil frowned.  _ He's much too young to be involved in this.  _

Tubbo seemed equally as anxious, although not nearly as vocal in his body language. His stance was stiff, arms crossed and brows furrowed as he watched the scenario unfold. Fundy looked completely impassive, and Phil refused to let his gaze stick on his grandson. 

Quackity shouting drew Phil's attention again, the Vice-President screaming at something, his hand lifting off the lever for only a moment. Phil's heart stopped as Quackity slammed his hand down, the lever dropping. 

"TECHNO!" Phil screamed, all but throwing himself over the banister as he watched the anvil drop. 

**_Crunch._ **

The metal fell through the floorboards of the execution stand, and Phil stumbled backwards, hands clasped over his mouth. He didn't think that the execution would actually go through. He was  _ certain _ that Techno had a backup plan. A choked noise made its way from his throat, and Phil hit the wall of his house, sinking to the ground with a pained sob. His feathers ruffled uncomfortably against the wood siding, but all Phil could think about was Techno. 

"Fuck." Phil said, leaning his head back and letting it hit the wood behind him. 

He could see the blood on the stand, slowly spreading outwards, staining the wood. Phil watched it spread, the smell of copper strong enough that he could sense it from his balcony. 

He heard a joyous shout from Quackity, mockingly carried by the wind. 

"We did it! He's dead! He's fucking-" 

Tubbo said something, soft and uncertain as he took a few steps backwards from the scene, eyes wide and face pale. 

Phil watched Quackity spin quickly from facing Tubbo to looking at Techno- 

Phil scrambled to his feet, unbelieving. There Techno was, standing outside his cage, drenched in blood. He could see the hybrid semi-clearly from here, the warrior stalking towards Quackity with a blood covered axe. 

"How did he survive that hit? That's  _ so _ much fucking blood..." Phil muttered to himself, worried but grateful that Techno was alive.

He watched Techno raise his axe (where had he gotten an axe?) and swing downwards, cleanly severing Quackity's head from his shoulders. Phil laughed as Tubbo and Ranboo shouted in surprise, watching the Vice-President's body crumple to the ground and turn into dust. 

Techno didn't hesitate, stepping off the platform and breaking into a jog towards Tubbo, who tripped over himself, landing harshly on his back. Techno didn't hesitate, shoving his axe deep into Tubbo's chest, the young teen letting out no noise as he turned into dust. 

Phil watched with amusement as Fundy scrambled to draw his sword, racing towards the blood-covered hybrid with a battle cry. He fell easily too, Techno moving so quickly that Phil couldn't even catch sight of the killing blow. Phil noticed Ranboo freeze, not even attempting to protect himself as Technoblade lifted the axe again. 

"Well," Phil said with a light chuckled, stepping onto the railing of the balcony and gently gliding down. "If they're all dead there's no one to keep me under house arrest." 

Phil approached Techno, watching the hybrid twirl his axe with ease. 

"Techno!" Phil called out, smiling at his friend. "Mate, I'm glad to see you're okay." 

Breaking into a light jog, Phil easily jumped the seats by the execution stand, not paying attention to the body on the platform. 

"Let's get out of here before those idiots resp-" 

Phil froze, a few metres away from blood-soaked Technoblade. The hulking figure twirled its axe, and Phil took his eyes off it for only a moment to look back at the body on the platform.  _ Technoblade's _ body. 

"Oh," Phil said, inhaling sharply. Technoblade hadn't respawned. Whatever was taking his features, his weapons, his  _ blood _ , was stalking towards him, axe twisting in it's hands as if pondering to kill Phil. 

Phil was short on time and options. He only had one life, if he was killed it would be over for him in this world. He could run and hope he survived, or he could fight and hope he'd survive. 

The choice was made for him, the blood figure racing towards him, axe raised. Phil didn't hesitate, wings spreading and launching him to the sky in a single, powerful movement. 

The Techno-Shaped figure snarled, unable to follow Phil into the skies. 

"I'm sure Dream will forgive me," Phil said to himself, trying to figure out what was going on. 

The figure stalked in circles under Phil's location. Phil watched, eyeing Techno's body on the platform. It was mostly intact, the anvil seemingly crushing through Techno's chest instead of head. Blood didn't pool around him like Phil had expected, old conversations jumping to mind. 

_ "The voices Phil, they demand blood."  _

_ "Blood for the blood god!"  _

_ "Sometimes they're so loud I can't  _ do  _ anything. I have to- I have to kill something. It's why I farm potatoes, not animals."  _

_ "They enjoy the hunt."  _

"Fuck," Phil shook his head, looking down at the figure below him. "You're them! You're the voices- the Blood God!" 

The Blood God smiled, teeth sharp as their axe. 

"I̷̙̍t̷̪̊'̴̹̌s̸̼͛ ̸͎͆s̶̡̋o̵̥̐ ̴̩͘ş̶́a̶̙̐d̵͖̓," The Blood God said, their voice garbled and distorted. "T̵h̴a̶t̵ ̸i̴t̴ ̸t̶o̵o̴k̸ ̸y̵o̵u̴ ̷s̶o̴ ̴l̷o̴n̶g̴ ̶t̶o̸ ̸r̴e̶c̸o̸g̴n̴i̸z̷e̶ ̷a̶ ̵g̸o̷o̷d̵ ̴f̶r̴i̴e̷n̵d̴.̴"

  
  



	2. And everything that we're denied.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> follow me on Tumblr @ceaderblocks

Phil wasn't sure how, but he made it back to his house unscathed. He has torn away from the scene after the Blood God had spoken, letting a newly respawned Quackity take the axe meant for Phil. 

His heart was racing and he couldn't keep up with his own thoughts. 

Techno hadn't respawned. 

The Blood God was possessing Techno's blood to kill others. 

Techno hadn't respawned. 

_Techno hadn't respawned._

Phil crumpled to the floor, his elbows and knees aching with the sudden weight. A ping from his communicator sounded, and Phil gave it a quick glance. 

**[ Quackity was killed by The Blood God ]**

**[ Fundy was killed by The Blood God ]**

**[ Tubbo was killed by The Blood God ]**

Phil wasn't sure how the god was finding them, but he was grateful it wasn't himself that was falling to the axe. He heard a loud scream from outside, and he winced. 

He needed to work quickly. He needed to make a plan, otherwise everyone would be stuck in an endless loop of bloodshed, the Blood God reaping all the rewards. 

Stumbling to his feet, Phil desperately pulled books from their shelves, looking for a specific tome. His hands were shaking, adrenaline and grief making it hard to focus. 

"Get it together Phil!" He cursed to himself, another book crashing to the floor. 

He didn't know when the Blood God was coming back and he needed to find the book. He had stumbled across it when looking to resurrect Wilbur, skimming over the pages that mentioned the Blood Good, having decided he could just ask Techno anything he needed to know. 

"Just read it next time." Phil muttered to himself, spotting the book in the top corner of his shelf. "Yes!" 

Standing on his toes to reach it, Phil grabbed the old book and immediately to skim through the pages. It was written in old galactic, making it hard to read quickly. 

"Dammit, where are you?" Phil cursed, flipping through another few pages. 

A loud crash at his door broke Phil's concentration, the hybrid grabbing a sword from his mantle. He placed the book on the table and hoped it would be far away enough that the Blood God wouldn't take interest. 

It wasn't the bloodied figure that burst through his door, and Phil relaxed as Tubbo slammed it closed. 

"Philza," The teen said, voice wobbling and tears streaming down his face. 

Phil's heart sank. Tubbo was the person who banished Tommy, arrested Phil and agreed to Techno's execution, but he was also just a kid. Tubbo was gasping for breath, hunched over. 

"Tubbo," Phil said, opening his arms. Tubbo wasted no time, throwing himself into the hug and sobbing. Phil wrapped his wings around Tubbo, shielding him in the gray feathers. 

"He-he's gone insane, Phil! I didn't want him to be executed, I really didn't! I didn't want Tommy to go either! I've fucked it up, he won't stop killing us, I can't- I can't-!" 

Tubbo broke into more sobs, his sentence unfinished. 

"It's not Techno," Phil said, rubbing soothing circles on Tubbo's back. "It's the Blood God."

"T-That sounds even w-worse!" Tubbo cried out, a fresh set of sobs tearing from the teen. 

"We can stop it," Phil said, reaching for his book while keeping Tubbo tucked against his chest. 

"How?" Tubbo asked, pulling away wiping his face with his sleeve. 

"I read in this book somewhere that a sacrifice calms the Blood God. I just can't remember what it has to be." Phil internally cursed. He was wasting borrowed time. 

Another pained scream came from outside, closer this time and Tubbo flinched, burying his face into Phil's shirt. 

Phil winced, moving his gaze from the old galactic to the door as his porch creaked. 

"Get behind me, Tubbo." Phil said, reaching for his sword. Phil knew if he died Tubbo was next, but he might as well try. The teen complied, grabbing the ash-broom from beside the fireplace and raising it as an impromptu weapon of his own. 

A wail right outside the door made them both jump. 

"It's really close." Tubbo whispered. 

Phil frowned. The wail had sounded terribly familiar, like-

"Ghostbur!" Phil startled, watching the dead form of his son open the door. 

The ghost looked terrible, covered in blood. Parts of his incorporeal form were wisping away from his body, disintegrating against the liquid that covered him. 

"Phiiiiiiiiil…." The ghost wailed, large tears rolling down his face and sizzling. 

"Holy _shit_ Ghostbur," Phil breathed. 

"Techno walked right through me!" Ghostbur cried. 

"Oh my god," Tubbo whispered, his face white. 

"Sit down Tubbo, before you pass out." Phil bit his lip, looking between the two people in his house and the book. 

"Phil," Ghostbur warbled. "Phil, I don't have enough blue to get the red away." 

"I know, it'll be okay Ghostbur." Phil soothed, feeling the choppy edges of panic claw its way through his chest. 

He had no idea if everything was going to be okay, and he didn't know if the Blood God was hunting him down. Having three people in his house made him more of a target. 

"Tubbo, will you please get Ghostbur a bucket, some water and a rag? We'll have to get the blood off him before he melts away."

Tubbo nodded, scampering to his feet and crashing through the small house. Ghostbur continued to cry, and Phil awkwardly patted the one part of Ghostbur's shoulder that wasn't covered in blood. 

"I'm almost done my research," Phil said, frantically turning through a few more pages. He recognized some of the paragraphs, another loud scream making him wince. This one was farther away, but Phil could easily imagine what caused it. He glanced quickly at his communicator, regretting it almost instantly. 

**[ Sapnap was killed by The Blood God ]**

**[ Quackity was killed by The Blood God ]**

**[ Ranboo was killed by The Blood God ]**

**[ Dream was killed by The Blood God ]**

**[ Quackity was killed by The Blood God ]**

**[ Quackity was killed by The Blood God ]**

**[ Quackity was killed by The Blood God ]**

**[Dream was killed by The Blood God]**

Turning from his comm, Phil ignored the messages in favour of the old text. 

"I found it!" Phil sighed in relief, turning his attention to the book. Muttering the galactic under his breath, the adventurer quickly translated the page. 

"The Blood God demands sacrifice from its acolytes to appease its hunger. Lives of those who resurrect are a great source to his power... The life of those who do not respawn are more valuable than any, having been offered to calm the Blood God's anger…" 

Phil choked on his breath. The Blood God must be furious that Technoblade, its most powerful follower, was killed. There was only one way to stop the senseless violence, and it came with Phil's blood. 

Phil's life. 

Phil sank onto the floor, his hand gently pressed against the temple of his forehead. 

"Phil?" Ghostbur asked, sinking to the floor next to him, still covered in blood. 

"Mr. Philza?" Tubbo echoed, coming into the room with a bucket and rag. Phil took it from Tubbo's shaking grip, gently wringing out the cloth. 

"Techno hurt me, are you worried he'll hurt you?" Ghostbur whispered, leaning into Phil's touch as he gently wiped away the red on his desaturated skin. 

"I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose." Phil said, smiling sadly. "I'm not worried at all." 

The sounds of a short battle rang out, Sapnap shouting before the clanging of weapons settled into an uneasy silence. Phil chewed on his lip, nervously tearing at some dead skin. He knew what had to be done. 

_It's not a waste,_ Phil thought to himself. He would die and be severed from the world, but the Blood God wouldn't stop. He looked at the scenario around him, weighing his options. 

Phil knew that the others here had so much to do. They were all so young, living and grieving and surviving. Phil could settle down on another world, content with his family and friends visiting him. He'd had enough of wars, of betrayal and bloodshed.

He dipped the rag in the water, refusing to watch it turn red. 

_I didn't get to say goodbye to Tommy._ Phil realized suddenly, the stab of guilt strong. _There won't be a Tommy to say goodbye to if I can't stop the Blood God._

"Tubbo," Phil said, wiping more blood from Ghostbur’s face. "Can you come help Wilbur?" 

"Sure," Tubbo said at the same moment Ghostbur said: "I'm Ghostbur."

"I'll be back in a bit." Phil said, pushing himself onto his feet, the words in his throat heavy with lies. 

“Where are you going?” Ghostbur asked, his voice hoarse. 

“I think I know how to stop the Blood God. Stay here, stay safe.”

“Phil,” Ghostbur said, sounding more like Wilbur then he ever had. “Come back safe.” 

Phil smiled, knowing he wouldn’t. He took one last look at Ghostbur and Tubbo, watching the president gently wipe Ghostbur’s face, tears still rolling down his own. He grabbed the sword that had been so carelessly tossed aside earlier and headed outside, closing the heavy oak door. 

_It’s quiet._ Phil thought to himself, cautiously making his way down to the main level of L’Manberg. A lone figure stood on the execution stand, red blending in with the surroundings. It was staring at Techno’s body, a thoughtful look on its face. Phil noticed that a Totem of Undying laid just beside Techno’s outstretched fingers. He had tried so hard to live.

“Blood God,” Phil called out, taking another few steps forwards, the sword gripped tightly in his hand.

The Blood God didn’t respond, still staring at Technoblade’s corpse. 

“You need to leave. Technoblade needs to come back.” 

“He was a good acolyte.” The Blood God said, turning it’s gorey copy of Techno’s face to meet Phil’s gaze. “He still failed me. I gave him power, weapons, luck and glory. He still fell, a mere mortal.”

“He was loyal to you. He spread your name. He can come back.” Phil stared into the red eyes, taking another few steps forwards. 

“Before Technoblade, you were my best acolyte.” Phil stopped.

“I- what? I never served or worshiped you. How could _I_ be your follower?” 

The Blood God let out a garbled laugh, the dark crimson liquid spilling down its chin. It would have been disturbing if the deity wasn’t made from it. 

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten, Angel? You annihilated battlefields, leaving thousands of dead in your wake. You’ve spilt more blood then most of my servants combined. You may not have served me, but you cultivated my power. It was your face that led Technoblade to me.” 

Phil blanked, mind racing. It made sense, in a fucked up sort of way. He had killed in his past, and it wasn’t something he was proud of. At the end of the day, Phil had been a soldier, an adventurer and then an emperor, taking lives where needed. Of course the Blood God had followed close behind. Philza had been crowned as the Angel of Death, afterall.

“Technoblade needs to come back.” Philza said, choking on his words with the new information.

“He’s failed me. Why should I grant him mercy? He knew what would happen if he perished.” Philza moved forwards. The Blood Good stood still.

“This was out of his control.” Phil begged, stepping onto the platform. 

“All death is.” 

“I’m willing to offer my death in exchange for his life.” Phil said, standing face to face with the Blood God. 

This got a response from the Blood God, a wicked grin that split across its face.

“Now that is an interesting proposition,” The Blood God moved closer, and the stench of copper overwhelmed Phil’s senses. “The Angel of Death offering his only life for a failed acolyte.”

“I have terms.” Phil said, trying not to flinch against the Blood God. “You can have my life, but you allow Technoblade to respawn for his three canon lives without interference. You’ll let him respawn immediately after taking my life.” 

“Hm,” The Blood God leaned closer, blank red eyes drilling into Phil. “A very interesting proposition indeed.” 

Phil watched the Blood God take a step backwards, leg hitting Techno’s outstretched hand. The abandoned totem glinted in the setting sun, magic vibrating. Phil swallowed as the Blood God held his hand to the side, summoning a sword from the pool of Techno’s blood.

“It will not be painless.” The Blood God twirled sword mindlessly.

“I know.” Phil dropped his weapon, standing tall.

“It’s your only life. Seeing how you gained me so much power, I am giving you one opportunity to think about your choices.”

“I’m ready. I will do anything to protect those I love.” Phil said, and the Blood God surged forwards. Phil closed his eyes. 

_It was always meant to be._


	3. It's the heaven of the human spirit ringing.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Sara who wrote this chapter! I edited it, but she's the amazing amazing person who wrote this. Her Tumble is mine-sara-sp please go check out her amazing art and writing!!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jschlatt is in this chapter heads up

Dying was such a foreign feeling to Technoblade that he probably wouldn't have been able to describe it if someone bothered to ask. Maybe it was because of the speed at which it happened or the gruesome nature. The moments  _ before  _ dying were clear; the adrenaline, fear and the screams of the voices making his head pound. The unusual part was when the anvil fell and everything ceased to exist.

It was silent. 

He hadn't heard absolute silence in  _ so _ long. No ambient noises, no ringing in his ears, no  _ voices.  _ Just silence. 

Techno was nowhere until he was somewhere again. The silence broke at the sound of his own uneven breathing filling his senses.

He was laying on the ground with his face flat on the cold floor, unable to move. Something- no,  _ someone _ was pinning him down, their weight perched as if they were standing on his back. He tried to turn his head as much as he could to see and in response felt the weight press down on him harder, leaving him completely breathless for a few moments before shifting slightly to allow oxygen into his lungs again. 

The pressure was familiar, Techno mused. It felt the same as when he had shaken the Blood God’s hand all those years ago, installing him with the blessing and the curse of his power all at once-

Oh, he knew who it was. 

"Are you really gonna be so upset cause I died  _ once?  _ You take the _ “Technoblade never dies’  _ part too seriously-" The weight shifted again and Techno choked.

"Cringe." he sputtered as his breath ran out. 

He remained breathless for an agonizing amount of time before realizing that it wouldn't stop. He was dead. He didn't actually  _ need  _ to breathe, but the pain was still there. He was stuck on the verge of asphyxiation without being able to escape. He was completely at the Blood God’s mercy, and that was terrifying. Techno had never been at anyone’s mercy. 

All he could do was stare into the endless emptiness surrounding him. Sometimes ghostly figures would flicker in and out of existence, too quick for him to distinguish any faces or features. They were confusing but a good distraction from the pain. 

When the weight finally shifted Techno took as many deep breaths as he could, closing his eyes and relishing the feeling of his chest rising and falling. 

"You really need to find a different method of stopping me from respawning, this sucks." He said before taking a last deep breath, expecting to be suffocated again. It didn't happen. 

He exhaled in relief before hearing something. His ears twitched and he opened his eyes at the sound of steps, echoing as if they were in a big empty room. They got closer and closer. The smell of whiskey and cigars hit his nose as soon as a pair of fancy shoes stopped in front of him. 

"Would you look at that..." The man crouched down to get closer to Techno on the floor and Techno tilted his head to look up at him, seeing the familiar face of the ex-president of L'manburg. 

"Hey." Techno said deadpan. 

"Hey." Schlatt repeated, a cigar loosely held in his hand. 

  
  


Techno figured he should’ve expected to see those who had passed already, but it hadn’t really been his main concern at the time. Schlatt looked a lot better than the day he had died, the cigar smoke curling gently. Schlatt looked surprisingly sober as he gazed at Techno. His suit was in surprisingly good condition, and Techno humoured the idea of tailor’s in the afterlife.

Schlatt took a drag of his cigar, ashes falling from it and landing next to Techno's hair. He then sat down next to him. He took the cigar from his lips at tapped it against his knee, more ashes crumbling from it’s glowing tip.

"How the hell did you die?" Schlatt asked before bringing the cigar back to his mouth. 

Techno signed slightly. 

"Execution," He replied, deadpan before raising an eyebrow. "I guess Tubbo has been taking some pages off your administration." 

Schlatt coughed, having been surprised in the middle of a long drag. His cough turned into a loud, boisterous laugh, remaining Techno of when he and Schlatt would spend a little to much money at the bar, swindling locals of their hard earned cash with loaded dice at the gambling table. It had been a long time since Techno had heard Schlatt laugh like that. 

"That little shit! I can’t believe it!” He managed to say between laughs. 

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Techno drawled, rolling his eyes.

"Holy shit, Techno! To think that  _ you _ kicked the bucket before-- _ because _ of Tubbo!  _ Fantastic _ ! _ "  _

Techno glared at him, fury rising in his chest. 

"Yeah, yeah. Hilarious. Are you done mocking me, goatman?" He asked, trying to push himself up. The weight on his back didn't budge. It pressed down harder and pushed the air out of his lungs again, making Techno cough slightly.

Schlatt slowly stopped his laughter, trying to calm his breathing just enough to take one last smoke off his dying cigar. 

"What's up with the guy on your back anyway? Is it a kink thing?" He blew the smoke out of his mouth directly on Techno's face. "You into weird shit? Never really took you as the type." 

God, Techno wanted to  _ stab _ him. 

The weight left him a bit, he was able to breathe again. Genuine thoughts of violence still worked to please the Blood God even in this scenario, and Techno found slight amusement in the fact. 

He saw a glimpse of the ghostly figures coming into existence again, flickering for moments before disappearing. This time one lasted longer. He recognized a red stained apron and a blue beanie, large scar gouged into the left side of their face.

Schlatt seemed to recognize him as well, smiling widely and bouncing to his feet.

"C'mon flatty patty! I've been waiting for you, move your ass!" He shouted at the ghost before it disappeared. 

Schlatt let out an annoyed grunt meanwhile Techno frowned. 

"What the hell?" The hybrid asked, Schlatt sitting next to him again.

"They’re dying and respawning." Schlatt said, annoyed. He opened a bottle of whiskey that replaced the burnt out cigar.

More ghosts flickered in and out as he took a long drawn out gulp of the beverage. Silence filled the air as they both watched various figures flicker in and out of existence.

"They are dying a  _ lot. _ " Schlatt noted after a while. 

Techno knew why. He knew far too well what was probably going on in the server right now. 

He tried to move off of the weight of his God again, without any success. He signed and pressed his forehead on the cold floor. 

"Hey Schlatt." 

"Hm?" 

"What does the guy on my back look like?"

Schlatt frowned and looked back up at the figure standing on the poor hybrid. He squinted slightly like it was difficult trying to make up the details. He probably was, Techno himself had problems looking at the figure when it decided to appear before him. 

"Uh, it kinda looks like-" 

A new ghostly figure appeared in front of them. Techno's eyes widened as the figure became clear. It flickered for a few moments, becoming more and more solid, losing the undefined and distorted features of those who respawned.

"Phil?" 

And the weight on him was gone.


	4. It's the heat that drives the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Temporary character death ahead! Also descriptions of death, blood, and the acts of coughing and vomiting blood. 
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr @ceaderblocks

Techno decided that dying wasn’t terrible, it was the respawn that was hell. He was ripped to consciousness with fluid in his chest and a splitting pain in his head. His lungs were crushed, his body ached, and all Techno could think about was Phil. 

He had seen him in the afterlife.

_ Philza had been in the afterlife. _

Techno had seen Phil’s form flickering in and out of existence, starkly white against the emptiness of the void Techno had been trapped in. The Blood God had crushed Techno, choking the air from his lungs while he watched Philza become less transparent and more solid, his own entity being torn away the same time Phil fully entered the liminal space. 

Techno woke, after hours and seconds and lifetimes and minutes in the crushing space and only thought about Phil. 

All that mattered was Phil.

_ Where are you? _

Techno sat up, ignoring the throbbing of his head and chest and found his answer. Phil was close to the bed, dark wings curled around himself, shielding the adventurer from the outside world. Techno’s heart plummeted, and the voices in his head tore through any thoughts of his own. 

_ Philza? _

_ Uh oh. _

_ He doesn’t look good.  _

_ Techalive! _

_ Technopog. _

_ Philza does not look pog.  _

_ Save Phil! _

_ Philza Minecraft? Dead?  _

_ Save him! _

_ Save him!! _

_ Savehimsavehimsavehimsavehim. _

Ignoring the pain that came after respawn, Techno found himself at Phil’s side in moments, warm blood staining his knees. 

_ Phil’s _ blood. 

“Phil,” Techno’s voice was soft and wracked with grief. “Philza Minecraft, don’t be dead.” 

There was a twitch of Phil’s wings, and Techno didn’t know if it was a natural response of the body or a sign of life. Gently and ever so softly, Techno moved the ragged feathers away from Phil’s form. Phil let out a pitiful groan at the movement, and Techno let a sob escape him. 

“Phil, you’re going to be okay.  _ Fuck,  _ Phil! You’re going to be okay!”

Phil’s eyelids twitched, a wet cough spewing blood from the man’s mouth. Techno winced, desperately glancing around for the totem he  _ just _ had. He could still save him. 

“I’ll find the totem, Phil, just fuckin’ stay alive, okay? Do that for me?” 

Techno gently cupped Phil’s face, the man opening his eyes a sliver. Another wet cough and more blood spilt from his mouth, making Techno grimace. Phil reached upwards, hand trembling as he cupped Techno's face, blood smearing against the hybrid's skin. 

Techno inhaled sharply, tearing his gaze from Phil's and reaching for the totem that was barely in reach. Phil's hand dropped to the ground, hitting the wooden platform with a heavy thud. Techno had no time to feel bad about it, grabbing the golden item and desperately shoving it into Phil's hand. 

"You're not dying on me. Philza never dies." 

_ Phil gave his word.  _

_ The Blood God is gonna be aaaangryyyy~ _

_ He's not supposed to survive! _

_ His life for yours.  _

**_We had a deal. He gave me his word._ **

"Shut up," Techno snapped at the voices, squeezing Phil's fingers around the totem. "He's not dying on me. He's  _ not!" _

Phil made a choked noise, more blood spilling from his mouth. He let the totem fall from his fingers and Techno cursed, hastily picking it back up. Techno’s gaze caught Phil’s, the older man’s eyelids falling shut.

“You gave your word, but I  **_didn’t._ ** ” 

**_You’ll regret this._ **

Techno shoved the totem back into Phil’s limp hand, curling the cold fingers around the metal. He forced himself to watch as Phil’s stuttered breathing come to an end, the blood pooling around them finally slowing to a stop. He could never regret this. 

Phil  _ was _ life, he was the golden glow of the setting sun, the wheat kissing the sky on a summers day, the ocean’s gentle song in the early morning. Phil was the buzz of bees, the sturdy spruce in a sparse mountainside, the lone poppy growing in a cave. He was  _ everything  _ to Techno, and he wasn’t going to let Phil die because of his mistakes.

The totem glowed softly, gold light spilling from the gaps in Phil’s fingers. Phil took a shuddering breath, and Techno let out a choked laugh, surrounded with warm blood and a rush of emotion. Phil groaned, rolling onto his side and slowly opening his eyes. 

“Fuck you,” He mumbled, and Techno smiled, brushing the blond hair from his friends face.

“I’m glad you’re alive.” Techno said, and gently helped Phil to a sitting position. His lungs ached, but he was certain Phil felt worse. Totems were never easy on the body or the soul. A tickle of a cough formed in the back of Techno’s throat. 

“You stupid, fucking idiot.” Phil said breathlessly, collapsing into Techno’s side and throwing his arms around his neck in a loose hug. “Why didn’t you tell me this would happen?”

“I just planned on never dying.” Techno murmured, hugging Philza back as tight as he dared. “It’s not my fault they murdered me.” 

"I could've made sure the Blood God didn't cause so much chaos." 

"In my defense, there wasn't much time to tell you durin' the execution, and I certainly wasn't gonna let the enemy know about that factor of my life." 

Phil let out a soft laugh and Techno closed his eyes, burying his face into Phil's shoulder. 

"I'm tired." Phil said, wings drooping. "Can we go?" 

"That'd be nice," Techno said, pulling away from the hug. "Can you stand?" 

"With some help, yeah." 

Techno pulled Phil and himself to their feet, Phil leaning most of his weight into Techno’s side. Techno gently guided the exhausted hybrid off the platform, only to see Quackity and Ranboo at the bottom of the stand. Quackity looked furious, covered in dry blood and with a new, thick scar tearing through the left side of his face. Ranboo looked worried, purple particles floating off him. 

“Technoblade!” Quackity shouted, starting to move forwards. “What the fuck was that?”

"Get out of my way.” Techno said, exhaustion seeping into his voice. Ranboo put a gentle hand on Quackity’s arm, whispering something to him and guiding the shorter man away from the stairs. 

Techno’s body felt like lead, each step disjointed and heavy. He stumbled down the staircase, Phil’s weight making him off balance and ignored Quackity and Ranboo’s stares. Getting back to Phil’s L’manberg house was his main goal. 

“Are you okay?” Phil muttered once they were outside of earshot. 

“I’ll be fine.” Techno said, choking down a cough. He could feel liquid slosh in his lungs and knew that was a terrible thing to be feeling, but Phil was so much more important to the hybrid in this moment. “Are you okay?”

“I’ve been better.” Phil admitted, the fifty metres to his doorstep looking like kilometres. 

Techno made no reply, stifling his cough again. He bore the majority of Phil’s weight willingly, catching the man when he stumbled. Once they reached the top of the stairs the door flew open, Tubbo and a now-clean Ghostbur bursting out of the frame. 

“Philza! Technoblade!” Tubbo gasped, wiping the leftover tears from his face and racing to lend Phil a hand. 

Techno snarled, blood leaking from his lungs and spilling from the corner of his mouth. The gutteral sound made Tubbo freeze, hands hovering awkwardly as his gaze switched rapidly from Phil to Techno as he interally debated what to do. 

“It’s okay mate.” Phil soothed, patting Techno’s shoulder with his free hand. “Let him help. You’re barely standing as-is.” 

“He’s the one who got us into this mess.” Techno growled, throat clogged with blood. 

“He’s a kid who was manipulated. He’s Tommy’s  _ friend.”  _ Phil reminded, and softened his face when he spoke to Tubbo. “Can you help us inside Tubbo? Please?”

“Oh- uh, yeah! Yeah, of course,” Tubbo stammered, looping Phil’s other arm over his shoulders. Techno shifted his balance once again to accommodate the loss of weight. He was silently thankful for the relief, his body shaking. Black spots blurred the edge of his vision, and Techno wanted to pass out. 

“Let’s go inside,” Ghostbur said, his voice quiet and serious, a gentle hand guiding the three inside the door. 

Techno ignored the scattered tomes on the table, bringing Phil immediately to the bed shoved into the corner of the room. Phil sank onto the down-feather mattress with a heavy sign, grimacing and rubbing his chest. Techno frowned, kneeling on the ground to be at eye level with Phil, knowing the results of a totem. 

“Phil, let me see.” Techno hummed, ignoring Tubbo’s awkward hovering. 

“It’s not bad-” Phil started, and Techno glared. 

“You haven’t even seen it yourself.” 

The avian hybrid sighed, removing the cloak he wore. He slowly tugged off the sleeveless turtleneck he wore, moving gently to avoid aggravating the new scar in his chest. The Blood God had pierced him between the ribs on his left side, easily slicing through the layers of muscle and bone. It had missed his heart but struck his lungs, making Phil’s death painful and long. The wound was no longer there, now being stitched with gold of the Totem. The new scar shimmered in the setting sun, and Phil ghosted his hand over it, wincing at the cold metal that was now embedded in his skin.

“Holy shit,” Tubbo said, hands covering his mouth.

“It’s alright mate,” Phil said with a small, pained smile. “I’m not dead, and it doesn’t really hurt.” 

Techno sighed, triggering the cough that was building in the back of his throat. Already kneeling on the ground, he braced himself against the bed and he coughed, his lungs refusing to expand fully to let him gasp at air. He could feel the liquid in them be pushed up his throat, the bitter taste of blood spilling outwards. It splattered against the floor, and Techno found a bucket shoved under his face, a cold hand rubbing up and down his back. 

“Cough it up.” Ghostbur murmured, the familiar tone of Wilbur’s voice seeping through and making Techno’s chest ache in a completely different manner. “Get it out, you’ll feel better.” 

“Jesus Christ!” Techno heard Tubbo exclaim, and he heard Phil clamour off the bed to kneel at his side. Ghostbur continued to rub calming circles on his back, the cold making Techno shiver.

Techno gasped for air as the coughs subsided, unwilling tears leaking from his eyes. Blood continued to drip from his mouth, the sloshing in his lungs still apparent, and Techno knew this wasn’t normal after respawn. 

**_My child, why have you forsaken me?_ **

Techno closed his eyes, shuddering at the voice of the Blood God. He vaguely heard Phil and Ghostbur speaking, but the booming voice of his God overpowered any of his earthly senses. He knew those words well, the hymn long embedded into his bones.

“I didn’t,” Techno muttered, another series of coughs forcing him to choke off his sentence. More blood spilled into the bucket, and Techno couldn’t catch his breath. “I had to save him.”

**_You must atone for what you’ve done. You’ve betrayed me._ **

“I know.” Techno whispered, vision blurring. His glazed vision landed on the blood in the bucket. “I don’t regret it.”

**_You will learn to regret. You will learn to listen._ **

Techno smiled, blood coating his teeth, unconsciousness closing in quickly. He could feel many hands touching him, keeping him upright as another coughing fit overtook him, blood missing the bucket completely.

He heard the muffled call of his name, the worried tones of his friends making his heart ache. He closed his eyes, knowing that whatever the Blood God had in store, it would be worth it. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a hearty chapter!! I hope y'all enjoyed! I'm working on Ch 5 as we speak, so hopefully it'll be up next week, but no guarantee as I'm working on a gift for a friend that's literally taking up 100% of my time.


	5. Power has been cried by those stronger than me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for blood, vomiting and coughing blood. Also discussions of sacrifice and suicidal intentions. Y'know, the usual.

The first moment the Techno fully grasped consciousness was shortly after he passed out the first time. His mind was heavy, limbs uncooperative as he lay against someone’s chest, their arms wrapped around him as blood dripped from his mouth into the bucket. People churned around him, their words indistinguishable to Techno but filled with a panicked tone. Cold hands gently cupped his chin, raising his head to meet their eyes. Techno could barely make out Wilbur’s form, eyes already drooping closed. 

A pitiful cough struck Techno, more blood dribbling from his mouth. Wilbur wiped it off, saying something in a calm, cool tone that Techno couldn’t understand. 

Closing his eyes, Techno felt the arms around him adjust, leaning him so that another person could wrap their arms around his other side. A hushed conversation happened, Techno already welcoming the incoming blackness. His lungs ached and his throat burned, acidic bile and blood making his chest throb. Techno allowed himself to slip back into unconsciousness as the two people lifted him, gently laying him on the bed.

**\--**

The second time Technoblade was introduced back into the conscious world, he woke violently, turning his head to the side and propping himself on his elbows as acid burned up his throat. 

Gagging, Techno hadn’t even opened his eyes as a disgusting mix of vomit and blood escaped him, the taste making him shudder. Another gag tore through him, and Techno gasped for air, sweat dripping from his brow.

A small hand rubbed smoothing circles on his back, a deep wooden bowl placed under his head. Techno cracked an eye open to grab it, coughing as blood stained his teeth. 

“There there,” Tubbo soothed, the young boy sounded much calmer than the last time Techno had interacted with him. “It’s alright, Technoblade. Eventually you will run out of blood to cough up.” 

Techno didn’t pause on the ominous statement, focusing on spitting the last of the dark liquid into the bowl. He grit his teeth against the whimper of pain that crawled it’s way up.

“Good job, Techno.” Tubbo hummed, gently pushing on Techno’s shoulder to lay the hybrid down flat on his back. “That was a lot of blood you coughed up. Better than yesterday! I’ll have to change the sheets, though. You could’ve at least aimed for the bucket, you know?” 

“S’rry.” Techno mumbled, his lungs aching from the strain. 

Tubbo looked at him, surprised. 

“Oh, you’re awake?” Tubbo smiled. “Good morning! Phil will be so happy to know you’re up!”

Techno hummed, shuddering and closing his eyes. 

“Phil! Techno is awake! Hurry, I don’t think he’ll be up for long-”

**\--**

He wasn’t sure if this was a dream of not, his mind hazy as he was led outside. Two sets of hands gently led him to the side of a horse, a green clad figure already seated upon it. 

“Help me lift him. He’ll lean against me for the ride.” 

“Phil,” Techno croaked, knees buckling as a violent shiver tore through his frame. The hands supported him as his weight sagged.

“I’m right here, Techno.” Phil soothed, and his hands were added to the group, manipulating him up onto the horse's saddle. 

Techno sagged into Phil’s chest, exhausted from even the little movement. He heard Phil murmur something, his voice vibrating in his chest. Techno closed his eyes. 

He felt the horse start beneath him, the gait of the horse matching the swaying of his head. 

Technoblade wasn’t sure if he had even woken, but he was quickly lulled into a dreamless sleep. 

**\--**

The soft touch to his forehead made Techno open his eyes. He wasn’t sure where he was, the comforting crackling of a campfire overwhelming his senses. Voices spoke softly around him, hushed laughter quieting as he coughed, a familiar copper taste polluting his mouth, 

Technoblade himself was swaddled with blankets and heavy furs. The heat was unbearable, his chest aching. He was covered in sweat, the layers trapping it on his skin, making him clammy and uncomfortable

Techno groaned, pushing blankets off himself in a desperate attempt to cool down. A weathered hand brushed up against his forehead, calming the hybrid. 

“I know it’s uncomfortable,” Phil murmured. “But you need to sweat your fever out.”

A rough cough tore from Techno’s throat, the hybrid wincing at how painful it was. His chest ached and his throat was raw, the fever helping to make everything unpleasant. He assumed that while he was unconscious he must’ve been coughing then as well. 

Techno watched Phil’s face move into view, his blond hair loose and tucked behind his ears instead of in its usual ponytail. The man looked stressed, dark bags accentuated under his eyes. A gentle smile came across his face, the corner of his eyes crinkling. Phil looked to the side and grabbed a small cloth, wringing it of the cold water before laying it on Techno’s burning forehead. 

“There mate, that should help.” Phil muttered, more to himself than Techno. 

Techno tried to say something in response, instead choking on the air in his throat. 

Phil shushed him, rubbing his thumb across Techno’s cheek. The gentle gesture made Techno unwillingly tear up, leaning into the soft touch. 

“Go back to sleep, Techno. You’ll feel better later.” 

Techno shut his eyes.

**\--**

There was no campfire this time, no gentle touch or soothing words. The night was dark and starless, the cold air piercing. There was nothing, then there was blood in his throat, then Techno was awake and sitting up, hunching over himself and coughing. Blood filled his lungs, choking his breathing and making him wheeze. 

He coughed and coughed and coughed and  _ coughed, _ splatters of blood covering his traveling cot as lungs heaved. 

_ No one is awake,  _ Techno thought to himself, gasping for air.  _ No one is here to help. _

Another coughing fit tore through Techno’s frame, tears rolling down his face. His throat was raw, pained breaths icey against the ruined muscle. His lungs struggled to inhale, shuddering with every breath. 

Techno collapsed into his blankets, wheezing. With shaking hands he wiped the blood from his mouth. He refused to look at it, focusing instead on steadying his short, choppy breaths.

**\--**

The gentle sway of movement and a warm body pressed against his back were the first things Techno registered this time. It took a few moments for him to recognize that he was on a horse and that Phil was the one behind him keeping him upright. He was tucked neatly into Phil’s chest, his head resting on the man’s shoulder. He was wrapped in blankets still, but the fever he had sported before seemed to have mostly left.

“Phil…?” Techno’s voice was ruined, coming out scratchy and hoarse. 

“Techno,” Phil stopped the horse, looking down at the hybrid with wide eyes. “You’re awake? How are you feeling?”

“Like shit,” Techno wheezed, exhausted. 

Phil let out a laugh at that, the sound buzzing comfortably against Techno’s head.

“Yeah, mate, I bet you do. You’ve been really sick.”

Techno hummed, closing his eyes as Phil urged the horse forwards again. 

“Where are we going?” 

“Back north, to your house.” Phil replied. “You’ve gotten well enough that we could travel, so I figured we could bring you home.”   
  
“...Whose ‘we’?” Techno muttered, mind racing to try and place who could be traveling with them. 

“Ranboo, Ghostbur and Tubbo.” Phil said, pulling one of the blankets from Techno’s waist to wrap around his shoulders. 

“You’re taking the government with us?” Techno scowled. “I’m leaving. Stop the horse”

Phil laughed again, the sound light and airy. “No, Tubbo and Ranboo both left the L’Manberg government. They realized the brutality and power was getting out of hand, and they didn’t want that. They resigned a few hours after the Blood God incident.” 

“...That sounds like a well informed decision. Are you sure we’re with the real Ranboo and Tubbo?”

“Hey! I’m smart!” A small voice to the right said, and Techno opened his eyes, turning his head to see the small sheep hybrid sitting on his own horse, bundled for the winter weather. 

“If you were really smart, you would’ve taken the whole government down before leaving.” Techno grumbled. 

“In our defense,” Ranboo said, moving his horse forwards from the left. “Phil didn’t really give us time. He just shoved winter clothes and food at us and we left in the middle of the night.” 

Techno snorted, the weak laugh turning into a wet cough. Phil rubbed his back and the cough subsided. Techno was proud there was no blood on Phil’s blue uniform after his fit. 

“Old habits die hard, huh Phil?” Techno teased, his voice still hoarse. “You got me the same way.” 

“Okay now,” Phil rolled his eyes, a smile gracing his face. “You imprinted on me like a little duckling.”

“I did not!” Techno sputtered, weakly smacking Phil in the chest. “You were wearin’ gold! I was a toddler in the nether! Piglins- even if they’re hybrids- follow  _ gold _ . I was just followin’ nature’s design!” 

“Wilbur and Tommy, on the other hand,” Phil mused, ignoring Techno’s protests. “Could  _ technically _ be considered kidnappings, but they wanted to come anyways, so I don’t really consider them that.” 

“What the fuck?” Tubbo said, and Ranboo made a similar surprised noise. 

“Wilbur I took from the orphanage, the caretakers there didn’t want to hand him over.” Phil hummed, reminiscing on a memory. “Tommy was in the forest as a toddler. There was a house nearby, but no one ever came back. I stayed for a week. I think his parents got eaten by bears or something.”

“Did you look for other relatives?” Ranboo asked. “There must’ve been a town nearby or something.” 

Phil hesitated and Techno stifled a laugh, leaning into Phil’s warmth. 

“Uh, no? I never really thought about doing that. That’s the first time someone brought that idea to me, to be honest.”

“Oh god.” Ranboo said, looking more and more horrified. 

Techno let out a small, amused huff. 

“Phil collects kids wherever he goes.” Techno croaked. “You two are the most recent on the list. Next week they’ll be more.”

“A father figure?” Ranboo said, a joking tone in his voice. “In my life? It’s more likely than you think.”

“Hey Phil, when are you going to the corner store to get milk?” Tubbo teased, a large smile on his face.

Phil muttered a lighthearted curse under his breath, rolling his eyes. 

Techno let a small smile slip onto his face, eyes heavy as the rocking of the horse lulled him back into sleep. 

**\--**

Technoblade was not familiar with the feeling of wavering consciousness that plagued him. Most of his time was spent unconscious, briefly grasping sights and sounds before sinking into the soft, comfortable darkness. Most moments of wakefulness were lost, Technoblade’s hazy and exhausted mind focused on expelling the blood in his lungs then it was forming memories. 

He woke this time and knew he was going to stay awake. His chest, still heavy, was no longer filled with blood although it groaned with the weight of each breath. His head ached, but Techno no longer felt like he was on the verge of death, and that was a win. 

Techno groaned softly, cracking his eyes open. He was in his living room, a light bed frame having been moved to allow him to sleep comfortably. Techno didn’t remember how (or when) he had arrived home, but figured he certainly hadn’t done it himself. 

A soft rustling came from the kitchen, Technoblade instantly recognizing the light, feathery footsteps of Phil. 

The avian entered his line of sight shortly after, leaving the kitchen and startling slightly when seeing Techno staring him down. A small bit of mushroom soup spilled from the bowl he was holding.

“Techno!” Phil said, a large smile gracing his face. 

“Philza.” Techno murmured in response, his throat sore. 

“Let me get you some water.” Phil said, placing the mushroom soup on the small bedside table. 

A glass of room-temperature water was placed in Techno’s hands, and the hybrid took small, gentle sips. He wasn’t terribly thirsty. 

“Are you feeling better?” Phil asked softly, placing himself in a plush chair that was positioned near Techno’s temporary bed. 

“I don’t feel like coughin’ up blood.” Techno admitted. “So an overall improvement.” 

Phil’s smile was worried, and Techno avoided eye-contact. 

“Techno,” Phil adjusted himself in the seat, placing his elbows on the knees. “I know you  _ just _ woke up, but we need to talk about what happened.” 

“What about it?” Techno sighed. He didn’t really want to have this conversation. 

“The whole… Blood God thing. I knew you were an acolyte, I didn’t realize it ran this  _ deep. _ ”

“In my defense, I wasn’t supposed to die.” Techno joked, trying to shift the mood slightly. 

“Techno, mate, people  _ died.  _ I know it’s not something you like to speak about, but I need to know what is going on. I need to know how to prevent this.”

“It won’t happen again.” Techno promised, a dull hum in his head gaining volume. 

“It will.” Phil promised. “Something will go wrong, someone will get angry or another war will break out. We can’t control death.”

Techno sighed, setting his glass down. 

“I was pretty young.” Techno admitted. “It was a few years after I left the cottage. I was angry. I had entered a few tournaments and people sneered and scoffed at me because I was a hybrid. People thought I was winning because of my genetics, not because I was a good warrior.”

Techno hesitated, debating to speak the next part out loud. Phil hummed encouragingly.

“The Blood God took your face. It looked just like you. I knew it wasn’t you, but it spoke like it knew you and it said it was- was  _ friends _ with you. In my mind, anything that knew and collaborated with the great Philza Minecraft was trustworthy in my books. I wanted the power, I wanted the recognition, and I wanted people to  _ fear  _ me.” 

Techno let out a shaky exhale, placing his head in his hands. 

“I accepted it’s deal. Every death would be dedicated to it, including my own. I’m sorry, Phil. You should have never had to sacrifice yourself for my misdoings and mistakes. I should’ve had to pay for them, not you.” 

There was a lull in the conversation and Techno stared at his folded hands, finding his dry skin very interesting. 

“I didn’t do it just for you.” Phil finally said. Techno looked up, eyes widening a fraction. “Sacrifice my life, I mean. I did it for everyone.” 

Phil leaned back in his chair, looking away from Techno and up at the ceiling, tracing the wooden patterns with his eyes. 

“I did it for Tubbo, Ranboo, Ghostbur, everyone on this server, really. You- you didn’t see how the Blood God killed them with no hesitation. It spawn camped them, tearing through them.”

“Your life is still worth so much-” Techno interrupted, and Phil laughed, light and airy. 

“I know, Techno. But I’ve also lived a long,  _ long  _ time. I can move on. You have so much to live for.” 

“But you haven’t done anything  _ wrong.”  _ Techno said, watching Phil wrangle with the weight of his words. 

“Techno,” Phil said, grief written all over his face. “You and I both know that’s not true. I’ve been alive for centuries. I’ve been the angel of death for many kings. I’ve started my own empires, all built on blood. One life to save a few others was an easy trade to make. I’ve made that decision for others, I don’t see why I can’t make it for myself.”

“Phil,” Techno said, his voice breaking from emotion and underuse. Phil smiled, moving from the chair to the edge of the bed and wrapped Techno in a large huge, torn wings shielding them both from the outside world. 

“I'd do it again,” Phil murmured. “So if you don’t want me to, then stop fucking putting yourself in life-and-death scenarios all the time. Stop making so many goddamn enemies.” 

Techno gave a soft laugh, returning Phil’s embrace.

“I can’t do that, and you know it.”

“I’d be a little disappointed if you managed to actually retire.” Phil joked, pulling away from the hug. “Also, I need to tell you-”

The slam of the front door cut off Phil’s sentence, starling both of them. Tubbo and Ranboo walked in holding bundles of firewood, Tommy following with an axe slung over his shoulder.

“Heh?” Techno said, eyes wide at the sight of the younger blonde entering his home so casually. He was skinner and had longer hair then Techno remembered, but otherwise in good health, cheeks red from the cold. All three were dressed in soft shades of blue, a small braid tucked in their hair, matching Phil’s.

“- And I think I looked particularly manly chopping down trees, thank you very much. I did all the hard work, which is why you get to carry the wood.” Tommy said, puffing his chest out in pride. Tubbo rolled his eyes, dropping his wood by the fireplace, not seeming to notice Techno awake and staring. 

Ranboo, however, noticed, freezing by the door when he made eye contact with Techno. Phil laughed, bowing his head and running a hand through his dirty-blonde hair.

“Hi Techno,” Ranboo squeaked out, as nervous as always.

“Oh!” Tommy said, a wide grin splitting across his face as he finally looked at the hybrid. “Good morning you dumb fuckin’ bastard! You’re awake! Have you stopped coughing up blood and shit? That was weird as fuck. Also, this is my house now. I claimed it as mine while you were gone.” 

“We found Tommy in the basement a week ago,” Phil explained, patting Techno’s shoulder. “He ran away from Dream.”

“I did not ‘run away’! That makes me sound like a pussy!” Tommy scoffed, placing the axe by the door with little care. It clattered to the ground, and Ranboo gently placed down his firewood to fix the axe. “I  _ escaped,  _ thank you. He was so fucking distracted by whatever the fuck the ‘Blood God’ is that I managed to sneak away and claim this place!”

“This is not your place.” Techno deadpanned, suddenly exhausted. 

“There’s mushroom soup on the stove,” Phil interrupted. “Go eat.”

“Okay!” Tubbo said cheerfully, and Ranboo nodded, moving his wood from beside the axe to the fireplace. 

“My stove,” Tommy helpfully reminded, following the other two boys into the kitchen. 

“Anyone else living in my house I should know about?” Techno drawled, raising an eyebrow. Phil laughed nervously. 

“Actually-”

  
  
“Technoblade!” A cheerful, wispy voice cried out. Ghostbur soon followed, rising from the floor into the main living space. 

“Oh god,” Techno muttered, sinking into the bed.

“You’re awake!” Ghostbur said. “Here, have some blue.” 

“Why don’t you go eat with the boys, and then you can give away some blue?” Phil offered, gently pushing Ghostbur’s hands back towards him. 

“But Philza, I can’t eat.” Ghostbur frowned. 

“Make sure those three don’t start a food fight then,” Phil said. 

“Oh!” Ghostbur grinned. “Okay! I can do that.”

Phil waved Ghostbur off, turning to see that Techno had buried himself in the covers, eyes peeking over the comforter and glaring at him.

“Why don’t you get some more sleep. I’ll make sure everyone is quiet.” Phil said, brushing some stray hair from Techno’s forehead. 

“I want them gone when I wake up again,” Techno said, knowing fully well that his threat carried no promise. 

Phil laughed, and Techno closed his eyes, letting himself dream once more.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank for sticking with me folks! I have a Tommy POV epilogue planned, but tbh I don't know when that'll come. I hope you enjoyed the fic, it's been a labour of love. 
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr @ceaderblocks


End file.
